Death's Gift
by Vampiric Instincts
Summary: Unlike other SA stories you will read. Haku/Chihiro/OC threesome. The Spirit World enchanted her as a child, and will always continue to do so. However, she never thought that the easiest way to get back...would be to die.
1. Prologue

Prologue

VI

The first time she met him, she was being cornered by a trio of men behind her parent's house. He had swooped in -_literally, _as it was, since he had been flying by in his nekomata form_- _and kicked one of the men in the head, sending him sprawling to the ground. With a fierce growl, the large spirit-cat had thrown the remaining men away from her crying form, and leaned down to sniff her ear, purring quietly. She, a girl of only fifteen at the time, had thrown her arms around the large feline, only to yelp when they went right through it.

"It takes a lot of energy to manifest here, and without offerings, I'm afraid you won't be able to touch me," the cat had stated, sitting back on its haunches as it began to groom its impeccable black fur.

It blinked when a half eaten granola bar was hesitantly offered to it, golden eyes staring down at the small human in amusement. With a delicate, very cat-like sniff, it took a hesitant bite. Finding the meal acceptable, it devoured the rest quickly. True to it's word, soft, silky fur met her finger tips the next time she reached for it.

"I am called Minareru. I suppose I shall stay with you for a little while," the large cat had announced, glancing at the men behind it in disdain, before it began to shrink, taking on the form of a normal house cat.

"Papa's allergic to cats," the teen sniffled as it jumped into her arms, purring contently.

"Then I guess I'll just make sure he doesn't see me," it gave her a cat grin.

VI

"Ne, 'Ru, you came from the spirit world, right?" Chihiro asked a few weeks later, voice still quiet and hesitant after her encounter with the men.

"I can be there, or here. I prefer here though," the sleek cat stretched lazily as it eyed her curiously, long body winding its way about her feet.

"Have...have you ever been to Yubaba's Bathhouse?" she asked softly, trailing a hand through her visitor's fur gently.

"Yubaba's you say? I thought you had the scent of a spirited one...you were lucky to come back! ...nonetheless, only those with invitations get into Yubaba's. A lone Bakeneko like myself doesn't really warrant an invitation like that," Minareru said quietly, ears flat as he looked up at her, tail twitching.

"Oh," the teen murmured in clear disappointment, before curling up in her bed.

He would wait a few more months before he got the full story from her, persistent, curious spirit that he was.

VI

"I have decided," Minareru announced one night.

One very _late_ night. Chihiro groaned as the cat jumped once more on her stomach, insistently demanding her attention.

"'ided what 'Ru?" she mumbled, blinking teary eyes at her friend.

"I shall become you're familiar! You are _much_ too danger prone to be left alone in this world!" the cat declared, chest puffed out as he stared down at the sleepy human haughtily.

"Can we talk about this in the mornin'?" Chihiro murmured, flopping back into her pillow and pulling the covers over her head, unseating the prissy neko standing on her stomach.

With a flare of energy, the Bakeneko stood above her, fangs gleaming in the moonlight as a large paw pulled the covers back, revealing the sleeping human girl below him. A gusty sigh left him, before he licked up her cheek slowly, smiling at the small shriek that left the girl.

"Get _off_ fluffy butt!" the human let out an impressive growl, if the cat did say so himself.

"You will make a good little bonded," he smirked down at her, before settling down beside her for a nap.

"...you're _so_ weird!"

VI

"Neh, 'Mistress', do you think you could give me one of those baths you love so much?"

Chihiro blinked down at her self-proclaimed 'familiar', raising a brow in surprise. She didn't point out the obvious, smiling at him in bemusement. The cat huffed in irritation at the almost-a-young-woman.

"Bath. Naow."

The girl shook her head in amusement as she prepared the bath, wondering how the spirit was going to react to the normal bath water of her world. She jumped a little when the cat was suddenly sitting on the edge of the tub, dipping his paw into the water.

"Bubbles," he demanded, before jumping away and vanishing into the other room.

Chihiro was grateful he had picked a time when her parents were out of the house to demand the bath, thinking that, they would definitely think her odd for preparing a bath for 'her imaginary friend', as her father had taken to claiming. After saying that the bath was sufficiently sudsy, the cat jumped into the water, immersing himself completely. She was just getting a little nervous when he surfaced a few moments later, causing her to sigh in relief. Only to noticed that it was _not_ in fact, a cat that emerged from the suds, but a rather handsome, rather _naked_ man.

VI

"Sometimes I think Haku is never coming for me..."

Minareru looked up from where he'd been fiddling with a string from Chihiro's latest project, a soft, knitted item she claimed would be sweater when she was done. Setting his 'toy' aside, he padded to the eighteen year old quietly, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders gently. Long black hair brushed against her chest as he leaned down to nuzzle her ear.

"Dragons are extremely territorial creatures. I highly doubt he will let just a few years separate you Mistress," the cat spirit said quietly, purring soothingly as his lips brushed her neck.

"And if I were to find Haku once more, and we were to be...together...what would happen later? When I grow old and die? Where would he be then?" the cat's ears atop his head flattened, and he scowled down at his little mistress.

"And where will _I _be when the inevitable happens. Nobody can know the future...it's not that set in stone," he replied quietly.

VI

She was lonely. He could tell that much easily, seeing as he had been with her for five years. And yet she spurned his more suggestive advances. She allowed small things, nuzzles, hugs, but whenever he did something which aroused her, she would pull away as though burned. He heard her whimpers at night, calling out the name that had plagued her since she was a child. Minareru fingered the small, hand-painted picture of a male that sat on her desk, as though a shrine. His little mistress was more talented than she believed, and with the visual before him, the cat made up his mind.

Weaving the illusion itself was a simple task, one that didn't even begin to tap into his vast reserves of energy. However, as he sat in the desk chair and waited for his bonded to come upstairs to the bedroom, he began to play with the necklace about his throat, a collar of sorts that symbolized his status as a familiar. The bell jingled softly as he moved, an ethereal sound which only Chihiro could hear. He heard her footsteps coming closer before the door opened, and a wide-eyed young woman stood before him, shaking hand reaching out to touch the bell.

"Minareru...what the hell did you do?" she asked, voice shaking more than her hand.

"It's just an illusion...I just thought..." he trailed off, blushing brightly, and looked away allowing the illusion to dissipate and reveal his true form.

Waist-length jet black hair fell into his eyes in a jagged, well-kept manner, hiding the worry that shined in near-yellow cat eyes. Feathery lashes framed the black lined orbs, giving him a feminine appearance that only highlighted high cheekbones and full lips. However, there was no mistaking him for a female with his tall, lithe swimmers build. The black cat's ears atop his head replaced what should have been human ears, and a sleek black tail nearly touching the ground gave away his true nature.

"Oh 'Ru," Chihiro embraced him gently, eyes closed as she tried not to cry.

"Look...I know you love the dragon...I just...you're so lonely...and...I kind of am too...so I just thought...nevermind Mistress, it was a stupid idea," Minareru mumbled, attempting to pull away so that he could go hide in a corner.

Chihiro tightened her hold, making him look down at her warily. The little human sighed, looking up at him shyly. His ears perked forwards when she began whispering.

"I...you _know_ I love Haku but...god 'Ru, I'm twenty now! It's been ten years! How long am I supposed to wait for him?" she whispered, before leaning up to press her lips against his hesitantly.

Minareru smiled down at his little mistress, before scooping her into his arms.

"Let me help you forget...at least for a little while. And later...if you want...I'll put that illusion back on, just for you Mistress," he purred against her ear, earning a small giggle as he laid her on the bed.

VI


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

VI

It had been seven years since she had given into Minareru's advances and became his lover. It had been seventeen _long_ years since she'd last seen Haku. She was twenty-seven now, and _boy_ was she starting to feel her age. She wanted many things out of life...stability, love..._children_. She supposed that one out of three wasn't _too_ bad, considering most people never even got one. And...in a way...she _did_ have love. While what she felt for her familiar wasn't quite the same as what she felt for Haku, the older, more mature Chihiro admitted, at least to herself, that no two loves were the same anyways, and that, perhaps, she loved the cat just as much as she loved the dragon.

"No, Mrs. Akimi, that's not how it works..."

Chihiro sighed warily as she listened with half an ear as the woman ranted at her, demanding that she talk to her deceased husband about where he had left his will. She _could_ of course, since returning from the spirit world had not affected her ability to see the spirits. However, no spirit lingered around the widow, so she couldn't. With another sigh, the young woman turned around to return to sorting through the books on the shelf. She was doing quite well off in life, with a bit of Minareru's help. She'd decided on 'becoming' a fortune teller of sorts. The cat had an uncanny ability to read a person's luck, and coupling that with her ability to actually communicate with spirits that visited with the customers, she had made quite the name for herself.

"-and you're customer service is _horrid_ young lady! Turning away from a customer to browse the shelves! I want to speak to your manager!"

Chihiro felt her patience snap as she whipped back around, and slammed her hand on the table in front of her, making the middle-age woman jump. A small, my-patience-has-been-tested-and-failed smile lifted her lips as she leaned towards the woman.

"Mrs. Akimi. This is a very _special_ profession that I do. I _have_ no manager. My _customers_ are those that do not live on this plain, and I suggest you read up on exactly how my abilities work before you make demands of me. Now, if you'd be so kind, there _is_ a poster on the front door of the building which explains how I do my work, please read it before approaching me again," the brunette said quietly, before turning away once more, this time sitting in a recliner towards the back of the room.

She gave a small smile as 'her cat' jumped into her lap, black fur gleaming as it purred and rubbed against her neck. Nimble fingers caressed behind its ears, and she leaned forward to rub her nose against his.

"And to have such _filthy_ creatures in a _business_ on top of it! Young lady, you will be hearing from my lawyer," Chihiro gave a small laugh as she extended a hand, the woman standing ridged as the spell wrapped around her.

She typically hated borrowing Minareru's powers, but this woman was just rubbing against her in _all_ the wrong ways. She knew that her familiar didn't mind- in fact, he often lectured her on how _little_ she used him. She hated 'using' him, but he seemed to find it a point of pride.

"You will return home, forget about this encounter, and find the thought of this type of service to fix your problems a ridiculous, superstitious notion," she commanded, magic thick in her voice before she released the woman, who walked out the door normally.

"What a horror she was. I'm surprised you held out that long," a deep, purring voice said as the cat jumped from her lap, before a tall, lean man rippled into existence, like invisible curtains being pulled back to reveal that he'd been hiding there the whole time.

One of the cat ears atop his head twitched as he tossed his long, elbow length black hair behind his shoulders. Gold eyes looked down at her briefly, before he moved to stand behind her, hands moving gracefully along her shoulders in a soothing motion. Chihiro gave him a grateful smile as she melted into his talented hands, chocolate eyes closing as she allowed herself to relax. A small purr left his full lips, before he leaned down to press a kiss to the side of her neck, canines gleaming in the light. He sniffed delicately, his straight nose picking up her clove and honey scent beneath the scent of her floral shampoo.

"'Ru, not in the front room," Chihiro murmured when he allowed himself a small, delicate lick along her neck.

"Mmm," he hummed, before scooping her into his arms, long, sleek tail flicking behind him as he carried her into the back room, which happened to be a kitchen.

"Mistress, I think you are in need of something," he purred as he sat her on the table, moving to stand between her legs as his hands pulled her hips into his.

The human let out a small sound of agreement as her hands caressed his chest slowly. With a ripple, the shirt melted away from his form, leaving a smooth, chiseled chest bare to the air. A small growl left him as he pressed his body against hers, panting lightly as he felt through their bond the pull of her using his magic, the cloths separating them following his shirt.

"Is this what you want Mistress?" he whispered against her ear as he pressed his groin against hers, gently sliding the length of his member against her slick lips.

"I'm not gonna lie, it would be a great stress relief," Chihiro smirked, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Agreed. And do you want this form, or his?" he asked nonchalantly, pressing soft kisses against the swell of her breasts.

Indecision made her waver, and the Bakeneko made up his mind for her, long back hair shortening to shoulder length and taking on a sage color as the rest of his features shifted to company it. An older, mature Haku stared down at her lustfully, and Chihiro couldn't help the blush that engulfed her face. Minareru smirked down at her, running a still clawed finger down her chest lightly. He never minded when his mistress preferred a bit of role play, indeed, he even got his own kind of pleasure from it. When he made her come around his cock, screaming out her love's name, he swelled with pride. It was in his nature to be cunning and trickery of the senses appealed to him highly. And if it helped his little mistress cope with being away from half of her soul, who was he to bemoan a little bit of kink in the bedroom.

And it wasn't like she _always_ wanted the illusion. He smirked as he leaned down to take an aroused nipple into his mouth. More often than naught, his little mistress preferred his own form to the dragon's. A groan left him as he eased into her small body, the human beneath him squirming against him as she moaned for more. Clawed hands biting into her hips ever so gently, Minareru gave a soft hiss as he began a fast, shallow rhythm with his mistress. His illusion _almost _wavered when they came together, and he felt a small victory as he kissed her tenderly, pleased that he had held it together in spite of the mind numbing pleasure.

"'Ru, drop it," Chihiro murmured sleepily, and smiled when he did, allowing the green to fade from his golden eyes with the illusion.

A soft kiss was placed on his lips, and Minareru's ears flattened on his head as he looked at her worriedly.

"What's wrong Mistress?" he asked, easing them both up as she began to straighten their clothing.

"It's nothing 'Ru," the human woman murmured, combing a hand through her waist length hair to straighten it.

There was one thing the Bakeneko knew he could never measure up to for his mistress. Dragons were exceptionally _harsh_ lovers, and Minareru found himself unwilling to be so inclined when she had asked it of him. It wasn't within him to harm her, his nature itself demanding that he be a careful, gentle lover. With a sigh, he watched as she pattered about the kitchen, tail twitching in an agitated manner. Blowing his long bangs from his face, he sat himself atop the table, arms crossed as she remained silent.

When the bell to the store rang, the woman moved towards the front to answer it. The Bakeneko growled lowly, but dutifully followed his mistress, bell about his neck jingling as his cat form jumped atop the counter to watch the customer warily. The customer was a petite little thing, tiny even compared to Chihiro's 5' stature. Behind her entered a dark blur, gangly and hunched over the girl as though a walking umbrella as it followed her.

_What is a Anun doing in this territory?_ Minareru thought, eyes narrowed.

"It's a bad luck spirit," he informed his Mistress, who was staring at the being with wide eyes.

"Excuse me, are you the Spirited?" the girl bowed to Chihiro deeply.

Chihiro blinked at the girl, eying both her and the spirit, before her eyes widened.

"Minareru, she's a spirit too!" the human gasped, taking a step behind her familiar as he transformed into his true form.

"Yes, yes she is. Did you not realize that before?" he looked down at her in amusement.

_Stupid cat_, Chihiro thought fondly, before looking back at the visitors warily.

"Um...would you like some tea?" she offered quietly, making the girl look up happily.

"Oh! Yes please!" she smiled brilliantly, bright blue eyes sparkling.

Minareru blinked in a dazed manner at the sight, feeling slightly dizzy. He moved into the kitchen while Chihiro sat their guests down.

"I'm Chihiro Onigo, by the way. The Bakeneko in the kitchen is my familiar, Minareru," the human said quietly, staring at the couple in a curious manner.

"Oh, so you are a witch?" the blond girl asked in surprise.

"Well...not really. 'Ru found me while I was still young, and took a liking to me. After a while, he offered to become my familiar to protect me," Chihiro said, smiling.

"Oh thank goodness, I had almost thought I was wrong!" the girl giggled in a relieved manner, the almost skeletal spirit beside her making a small noise of amusement.

"What can we do for you two?" Minareru asked as he handed out tea.

"Well, we came to kill Onigo-san."

VI


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

VI

Chihiro groaned as she placed a hand to her head, pain shooting through it as she did so. A small gasp went through the room and her eyes shot open, squinting at the crowd around her in confusion. Her mouth dropped open at the familiar faces around her, and she quickly looked around for her familiar, panic shooting through her when she couldn't feel him. _Anywhere_.

_How am I back here? What happened? Where is Minareru_? _The last thing I remember was that girl...and then pain._

"'Ru? Minareru! Where are you!?" she pinched herself harshly, biting her lip as she realised this _wasn't_ a dream.

"Oh dear...lords almighty, what is going on?" she whimpered as Rin came towards her, not aged a day and a concerned look on her face.

"S-Sen? Are you Sen? Haku said you were but...you don't look anything like her..." the spirit woman said brashly, hands on her hips as she stared down at her.

"Lin...a cat spirit...black...have you seen him?" Chihiro asked quietly, biting her lip in worry for her friend, unsure what happened to _her_ let alone her familiar.

"Death showed up with you at the bridge...said Haku probably wanted you back...why do you look so different? And why don't you smell like a human?" Rin asked, frowning in confusion.

"Death? _Death_? I swear, if she put one hand on Minareru-"

"What is this Bakeneko to you Chihiro?" a smooth voice inquired, tone slightly bitter.

Chihiro turned towards the voice slowly. Oh, that voice. She dreamt of it night after night, but...was all of this real? Could it be? As her eyes fell on the one she had loved since she was a child, she felt her heart clench. This was turning into a nightmare. Before her stood the love she had been pining after for 17 years...unchanged. The sight of the ten year old male before her was enough to render her speechless.

"Chihiro? Are you alright?" he was within an inch of her face in a heartbeat.

"I...you...please, where is Minareru Haku? Was he hurt?" she whispered, hugging her knees to her chest as she began to feel overwhelmed.

"I see. You are merely worried for a friend! Common spirits are not often invited here, however, Rin has already sent a summons for him," Haku smiled brightly, and Chihiro didn't quite have the heart to break it to him right then.

How was she even _supposed_ to break that to him? Hi Haku, I love you, but I'm sleeping with my familiar, also I'm not sure how we'll make this work with you being ten...I'm not a pedo. She shook her head before looking around the room with a smile at her friends.

"I've missed you all," she said quietly, biting her lip gently.

"We've missed you as well. None more than I. I love you Chihiro," Haku declared proudly, making her blink.

"I...I love you too Haku but-"

"I hate to brake up this little about-to-be-a-lovers-quarrel, but shouldn't we address the fact that Sen is...oh, I don't know...dead?" Kamaji spoke up quietly, making both freeze.

"Let's give them some privacy," Rin urged, frowning at the boiler man, who shrugged sheepishly as she began to herd everyone from the room, only to have someone burst in, sending the door flying against the opposite wall entirely.

"Chihiro Onigo, you have to be _the_ most difficult woman to keep track of I have _ever_ had the displeasure of meeting!" Minareru snarled out as he stalked toward her.

"Oh, and you're just a basket of kittens yourself 'Ru!" Chihiro snapped back, scowling until he scooped her into his arms, nearly crushing her to his chest as he hugged her.

"You-you just _died!_ She reached out and-and tapped your _forehead_ and you _died!_" he growled out, ears laid flat as he gripped her tighter.

"Yes, I think I've gathered that by now 'Ru," she responded gently, rubbing his back as she blushed from all the attention that was once again on her.

"I would kindly request that you step away from my intended."

Chihiro shivered at the venom that dripped from Haku's voice. Well, Minareru had always warned her that dragons were territorial...it was time to see exactly what she had gotten herself into all of those years ago.

VI


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

VI

"Okay people, show's over!" Rin growled out as she physically shoved the employees through the door, slamming it shut behind her.

Minareru released the woman gently before turning to look Haku up and down, a scowl on his face.

"Her _intended?_ So _you're_ the dragon Kohaku. I must say I'm a _little_ unimpressed," he smirked, sending Chihiro an amused glance.

_Oh lords above, he's going to be the death of me_, she thought, hand against her face as she gave him an unamused look. The cat smiled down at her innocently.

"Coming from a glory-seeking _cat_, you're opinion doesn't exactly mean much to me," Haku spat, giving the male a withering glare.

"What do you think you're supposed to do for her Haku- I can call you Haku, right? I've heard so much about you- you're body isn't exactly in the right age-group for her, ya know?" Minareru gave the dragon a taunting grin.

Chihiro remained silent, though she winced when Haku looked at her in realization. _She_ hadn't wanted to be the one to point it out to him.

"You've _grown_. Fast I mean...You're an adult already," he said, as though just realizing it.

"Hai. It's been seventeen years Haku. Humans grow fast. I'm already twenty-seven," she admitted quietly, eyes falling to the floor as she shuffled uncomfortably.

"You won't be aging anymore," Minareru pointed out, nudging her gently.

"What do you mean?" Chihiro asked, frowning in confusion.

"Well...for one, you're dead," the cat pointed out softly.

"For another, you're spirit...Chihiro, you're spirit is that of a dragon's," Haku said brightly, smiling in a pleased manner, though he kept giving Minareru annoyed looks.

"Yes 'Ru, I've heard that I'm dead, quiet enough now, thank you. And what do you mean, dragon. I am...was...human," the woman looked at Haku, frowning slightly.

"When someone dies, their spirit takes on their...well...true form, I suppose you could say, though some gain multiple forms. I guess you're spirit was that of a dragon, because I can smell it all over you. Rin is a weasel spirit, for example, while Yubaba and Zeniba are crows," Haku explained as he began moving about the room, cleaning the mess that had been made in the commotion and fixing the door that had been forced into the doorway in Rin's haste.

"So...they were all humans at one point?" Chihiro asked Minareru, since the other male appeared to be busy.

"Most people have been a bit of everything before they revert to their spirit form. Think of it as a kind of reincarnation cycle, and when you've worked out all of your bad karma, you can spend the afterlife as you want to...as the spirit you are. If you incur more bad karma as a spirit, then when you are 'killed' in this plain, you are cycled back into the reincarnation circle," the cat explained as he sat in a nearby chair, watching intently as she absorbed the information.

"I...I see," Chihiro whispered, frowning down at her hands.

"I'd wager that you're a warm blooded dragon, not a cold blood like the bishonen dragon over there," Minareru jabbed his thumb towards Haku, giving her a grin.

"I will age myself appropriately, thank you," the green eyed boy glowered at the cat.

"Un, and how long will that take?" the Bakeneko shot back, sneering.

"...I'm not sure. Not longer than a week, if I really push it," Haku said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"Well, in that time, I suppose Chihiro will just have to be happy with me warming her bed," Minareru purred, giving the boy a wicked smile when Haku snarled at him in response.

"You will do no such thing you mange-ridden fleabag!" the dragon growled out, putting himself between the cat and his chosen future-mate.

"Haku..." Chihiro murmured, biting her lip.

"Ah-Ah-Ah, don't be selfish now boy. You left her alone for _seventeen years_. You didn't honestly expect her to just sit back and wallow in loneliness, now did you? I've kept her from depression for twelve years, and I won't let her fall back into it because her dragon is too damned _young_ to lavish her with attention!" Minareru sneered down at the 'younger' male, who blinked, scowling.

"This is true?" he snapped at Chihiro, who quickly angered.

"Yes. I gave in and allowed myself happiness when I realized _you weren't coming_. I put my life on hold for you, and I had to _die_ to get your attention finally? What the _hell_ Haku?" she growled out body shivering, and both males looked at her warily.

"I...that is...I...I've no excuse..." the boy admitted quietly, eyes falling to the ground.

"Wrong answer," Minareru yelped as he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the ball of fire that shot at the water dragon.

Where Chihiro had once stood, a long, tan-furred dragon stood in her place, dark brown mane shaking from side to side as she got her bearings before she opened her long muzzle to breath another ball of fire at Haku, who dodged it once more. Large, furry paws struck the floor as she charged the boy, though she did yelp and dart to the side when he transformed into his own dragon form. Minareru wasn't surprised to see that she was actually larger than the white dragon that darted around her, considering that her body was older than his, though he _was_ surprised to see that once chocolate brown eyes were a blood red.

"Chihiro, rein in you're temper or your magic will take control!" he called to the female dragon, who shot him an annoyed glance, before diving out the window after the slippery river dragon.

"She was bad enough as a human with access to my magic," he grumbled as he transformed into his nekomatta form and jumped from the window in pursuit of the dragons.


End file.
